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2026 Statistics
Key Facts: Painter Trade Test Exam
100
Practice Questions
OpenExamPrep
QCTO/NAMB
Designated Trade Test
QCTO
Practical
Competency Assessment
NAMB
Competent
Pass Outcome
NAMB
N2
Typical Theory Entry
QCTO
SANS
SA Coating Standards
SABS
The Painter artisan trade test is the QCTO/NAMB designated trade test that qualifies a painter and decorator in South Africa. It is a practical, competency-based assessment with an underpinning trade-theory component, conducted at a NAMB-accredited Trade Test Centre and graded Competent or Not Yet Competent rather than by a single published mark. Access typically requires N2 trade theory (maths, engineering science and relevant trade subjects) plus an apprenticeship or the required years of painting experience. The theory spans surface preparation, paint types and coatings, application methods, defects and remedies, colour and finishes, materials and safety/MSDS, using South African terminology and SANS standards. This free prep includes 100 research-based practice questions with explanations and an AI tutor.
Sample Painter Trade Test Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your Painter Trade Test exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Before painting a newly plastered interior wall, why must the plaster be allowed to cure and dry thoroughly before applying a film-forming coating?
A.To allow the colour to develop in the plaster
B.Because residual moisture and free alkali can cause efflorescence, blistering and saponification of the coating
C.To make the surface rougher for better key
D.Because plaster shrinks and needs to expand first
Explanation: Fresh cement plaster contains alkalis and free moisture. Painting too soon traps moisture (blistering) and lets alkali attack oil-based binders (saponification), while drying salts cause efflorescence. New plaster is typically left to cure 4-6 weeks before painting.
2What is the main purpose of an alkali-resisting primer (plaster primer) on new masonry and cement plaster?
A.To add gloss to the final finish
B.To seal the porous surface and neutralise/resist alkali attack so the topcoat adheres
C.To darken the substrate colour
D.To replace the need for any topcoat
Explanation: An alkali-resisting primer seals the suction of porous plaster and protects the system against the free alkali in cement, preventing saponification and ensuring uniform topcoat adhesion and sheen. It is the correct first coat on new cementitious surfaces.
3When preparing new galvanised (zinc-coated) iron sheeting for painting, what treatment is needed to ensure paint adhesion?
A.Apply oil-based undercoat directly
B.Degrease and apply an etch (mordant/wash) primer or a dedicated galvanised-iron primer
C.Sand to bright metal and apply red oxide
D.No treatment; paint adheres directly to new zinc
Explanation: New galvanised surfaces are smooth and contain passivation/oils that resist adhesion. The trade practice is to degrease and use an etch (acid wash/mordant) primer or a galvanised-iron primer that bonds to zinc before topcoats; weathering or a mordant solution can also key the surface.
4What is the correct first coat (primer) for bare structural mild steel exposed to a normal atmosphere?
A.PVA emulsion
B.An anti-corrosive metal primer such as a zinc phosphate or red oxide primer
C.Plaster primer
D.Wood primer
Explanation: Bare ferrous steel must first receive an anti-corrosive primer (e.g. zinc phosphate or red oxide) to inhibit rust before undercoats and topcoats. The surface should be cleaned to remove mill scale, rust and grease first.
5Why are knots in new softwood sealed with a knotting solution (shellac knotting) before priming?
A.To make the wood harder
B.To seal in resin/sap that would otherwise bleed through and discolour the paint film
C.To fill nail holes
D.To darken the timber grain
Explanation: Knots exude resin that bleeds through paint, causing staining and softening of the film. Shellac-based knotting seals the knot so the wood primer and finish coats remain unstained. This is standard preparation on new resinous softwood.
6In painting trade theory, what is the correct sequence of operations when preparing and finishing new softwood joinery with an enamel (gloss) system?
A.Topcoat, undercoat, primer
B.Prime, stop/fill, undercoat, topcoat (with rubbing down between coats)
C.Undercoat, primer, topcoat
D.Stop, topcoat, prime
Explanation: The correct order is: seal knots, apply wood primer, then stop nail holes and fill defects, apply undercoat, rub down, then the enamel topcoat. Filling is done after priming so the stopper adheres to a sealed surface, and rubbing down between coats gives a smooth finish.
7What is the purpose of 'rubbing down' (sanding) between coats with fine abrasive paper?
A.To remove the previous coat completely
B.To remove nibs and gloss and provide a mechanical key for adhesion of the next coat
C.To add colour
D.To make the paint dry faster
Explanation: Lightly abrading a cured coat removes dust nibs and the surface gloss, giving a mechanical key so the next coat bonds well and lies flat. It is essential between gloss/enamel coats, which otherwise have poor inter-coat adhesion.
8Which abrasive is correct for wet flatting (wet sanding) an enamel undercoat between coats?
A.Glasspaper (sandpaper)
B.Silicon-carbide waterproof (wet-and-dry) paper used with water
C.Steel wool only
D.Garnet paper
Explanation: Wet flatting uses silicon-carbide 'wet-and-dry' paper lubricated with water; it cuts the film smoothly, prevents clogging and reduces dust. Ordinary glasspaper and garnet paper disintegrate when wet and are for dry sanding of timber.
9Why should grease, oil and silicone contamination be removed from a surface before painting?
A.It changes the paint colour
B.Contaminants prevent wetting and adhesion and cause defects such as cissing (cratering/fish-eyes)
C.It makes the paint dry too hard
D.It has no real effect on adhesion
Explanation: Oily or silicone contamination stops the wet paint from wetting the surface evenly, causing the film to crawl/ciss into craters or fish-eyes and lose adhesion. Degreasing with a suitable solvent or detergent before painting is essential.
10What does 'making good' refer to in surface preparation of a previously painted wall?
A.Applying the final topcoat
B.Filling cracks and holes, sanding, and spot-priming bare patches so the surface is sound and uniform
C.Choosing the colour scheme
D.Washing brushes after work
Explanation: Making good means repairing defects: raking out and filling cracks/holes with a suitable filler, sanding flush, and spot-priming or sealing bare or repaired areas so the surface is sound, level and uniformly absorbent before finishing.
About the Painter Trade Test Practice Questions
Verified exam format metadata for South Africa Artisan Trade Test — Painter is pending. The practice questions above remain available while official exam length, timing, passing score, fee, and administrator details are reviewed.